If somebody says they can’t cook. I wouldn’t agree to that……..
Cooking is not an Herculean task, it just requires a pinch of patience and some love. In my opinion anybody can become a good cook or chef if you have these two. I think cooking is nothing but an art that anybody can learn. You can make endless recipes with pretty much the same ingredients and changing just one ingredient or, using it in a few different ways.
You might be thinking, why am I saying all this today. Right? Well then I must tell you the reason for it. The recipe I am sharing with you is called “Thuvarai Biryani Recipe”. This was an experiment and I followed the exact same process that I discussed above in this one as well.
This is the first time I made biryani using Thuvarai and it turned out really well. I had also prepared Mirch ka Salan along with Biryani, which I will be sharing with you all very soon.
But for now, let us get into the recipe for Thuvarai Biryani..
Ingredients
Ingredients to Cook Thuvarai :
- Pigeon peas thuvarai - 250 gms
- Onion – 200 gms thinly sliced
- Green chilli – 3 sliced
- Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Tomatoes – 200 gms chopped
- Mint leaves - 40 gms chopped
- Coriander leaves – 40 gms chopped
- Curd – 200 grams
- Biryani masala powder – 5 tbsp
- Chicken masala powder - 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
- Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
- Salt – as per needed
- Oil – 5 tbsp
Ingredients to Cook Rice:
- Basmati Rice / Normal Rice - 500 gms
- Cloves - 3 piece
- Bay leaf - 2
- Green cardamom - 2 piece
- Cinnamon sticks - 2 piece
- Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp
- Salt - as per needed
- Oil - 2 tbsp
Ingredients to fry onion:
- Onion to fry - 200 gms thinly sliced
- Corn flour - 2 tbsp
- Oil - to deep fry
Ingredients for Biryani Masala Recipe:
- Fennel Seeds - 2 tbsp
- Mace Javitri - 2 nos
- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
- Stone Flower - 1 tsp
- Nutmeg - 1 crushed
- Cloves - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander Seeds - 3 tbsp
- Kapok Buds Maratha Moggu - 1 tsp
- Dry Red chillies - 4-5
- Black Cardamom - 3
- Cinamom Sticks - 2-3 piece
- Green Cardamom - 5-6
- Pepper Corn - 1 tsp
- Star Anise - 2 nos
- Bay Leaves - 2 nos
Instructions
Method to fry onion:
- Take a bowl add the sliced onion and add about 2 tablespoon of Corn flour and mix the onions well.
- Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the onions until they are golden brown. Drain it onto a tissue paper. Your fried onions are ready. Set aside.
Method to Make Biryani Masala:
- Dry roast all the above ingredients mentioned under Biryani Masala Recipe.
- Let it cool down.
- Once it gets cool, grind it to a fine powder.
- Use 5 tbsp of biryani masala powder for this recipe and store the rest of the biryani masala powder in an air-tight container.
Method to Make Biryani Masala:
- Dry roast all the above ingrediants mentioned under Biryani Masala Recipe.
- Let it cool down.
- Once it gets cool, grind it to a fine powder.
- Use 5 tbsp of biryani masala powder for this recipe and store the rest of the biryani masala powder in an air-tight container.
Method to make Thuvarai Masala:
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for few seconds till the raw smell of masala goes off.
- Now add onion, turmeric powder and saute for few minutes.
- Now add Tuvarai and salt, cook till it is half cooked. Mix well.
- Once thuvarai gets half cooked add half of the quantity of chopped mint leaves,coriander leaves and curd. (and keep the rest of the three things aside, we would need it later)
- Now add green chilies, biryani masala powder, chicken masala powder and garam masala powder.
- Mix well so that the thuvarai gets well coated properly with the masala.
- Cover the pressure cooker lid and cook on a low flame. (if needed you can can add 1 -2 tbsp water to avoid masala getting burnt)
- Keep the lid closed and cook.
- Turn off the gas before one whistle or you hear the shhhhhh sound, and keep it aside.
Method to cook rice:
- Boil water add oil, salt and the garam masala to it.
- Add rice to it and cook until done.
- Now drain the water from the rice and set aside.(Do not overcook the rice, else the rice will get mashed)
Method to make Biryani:
- Take a big bowl add half of the cooked thuvarai masala and spread it all over the bowl.
- Add some curd, fried onions, half of the remaining coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Now add half of the rice and spread it well.
- Repeat the same process again with the remaining thuvarai masala and the rice.
- Lastly add fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves on the top and close the bowl with a lid.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves and keep it aside with the lid closed.
- Open the bowl after 15 minutes and serve hot with raita, mirch ka salan or any gravy of your choice.
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